1. Field
The present disclosure relates to additive manufacturing, more specifically to powder removal systems for additively manufacture articles.
2. Description of Related Art
Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) additive manufacturing provides the ability produce extremely complex parts for a fraction of the cost of conventional additive manufacturing methods. However, due to the process of PBF, loose powder can become entrapped in complex internal geometry, even after gross powder removal using a vacuum or air gun, for example. Entrapped powder must be removed completely before post processing and thermal treatment to prevent undesirable sintering of the loose powder or exposure of sensitive mechanics to loose powder.
Current powder removal methods rely on gross removal methods like vacuum cleaning, forced air from a vacuum, or more targeted methods including vibrational removal or chemical removal. These approaches, however, have limitations. For example, gross powder removal does not clear small and/or complex internal channels, vibrational removal depends greatly on the geometry of the part and how well vibrations distribute through the part, and chemical removal can sometimes compromise material integrity.
Such conventional methods and systems have generally been considered satisfactory for their intended purpose. However, there is still a need in the art for improved additive manufacturing systems and methods. The present disclosure provides a solution for this need.